A hideous, carnal growl rose from deep inside the boy. A growl he aimed at his own sister, "Jane!"
I gasped for air, and to my surprise, a familiarly comforting, tasteless smell surrounded my nostrils and sent tingles under my skin. This new olfactory scent fought against the strength of Jane's gift, and the compressed effect slowly dulled into obscurity. Alec held me against his chest with a protective arm around my back, prepared to keep any further threats from reaching me.
I took in and released a deep breath, confirming that there was no outside force still trying to cause me harm. My head was spinning slightly, but other than that I felt completely fine. I felt my knee twitch and became aware of the hard marble under my shoes. Alec's arm was more like an anchor to keep me in place against him, but I was, for the most part, supporting most of my bodyweight. Only seconds ago, my legs had given in to an invisible pain and now I was somehow able to stand on my own two feet.
I tried to catch a glimpse of Jane without physically moving to look at her except my hair had fallen to the side like a curtain, effectively limiting my line of sight. She had had to prove herself to the Masters, but I hadn't expected her to push her gift to that extent on me - at least, not yet. It was so much more intense than any of the other times, so she must have been holding back before. I'd been too curious to be bothered by the brief, limited pain her gift had caused me, but after being sucked through the blackhole that I'd just been down…I was beginning to rethink my willingness to be subjected to Jane's gift. I wasn't as confident on my ability to withstand that level of intensity again.
In a sing-song voice, a warning was issued with a single word. "Alec." His name was dragged out, and the c rolled off the man's tongue with a charming lilt. When the young man didn't respect the generosity of the forewarning, one of the lower guards in my vision began to take a step forward. Alec snarled in response, combative, daring her to try. I started in surprise at the primal sound, which only made him tighten his protective hold on me. The guard froze and turned her head in Aro's direction, likely waiting for a direct order before she dared to risk performing an offensive attack on the boy.
Aro must've been waved her down because a firm, final warning reverberated throughout the room. "Enough." The word echoed with finality and I couldn't help but tilt my head up to look at him. The voice seemed to bring Alec back to his senses and I could almost see the savage instinct fall back in line. The tension drained from his eyebrows and down, releasing the rest of his body. The vibrations in his chest lulled into silence before Alec dropped his chin to examine my face. His arm was still wound tightly around me and I was extremely aware of just how close we were. I followed his irises as they diligently scanned my body from my scuffed boots all the way up to my neck. Unlike me, he appeared unconcerned with our closeness as he made no moves to pull or push me away, He spent a millisecond staring at my pulse, matching it to the beat of my heart overwhelming his ears. I waited for his eyes to catch mine after they'd made the trail to double check every inch of my face.
I wish I could say I had not noticed how his arm felt around my waist or the inch of skin he touched at my barely exposed hip. But I could not. I did notice it. It made the caterpillars in me skip the cocoon stage to become instant butterflies, spreading from my stomach to every inch of my body like an emotional freaking cancer. Maybe cancer was too harsh a description. Stockholm Syndrome. My butterflies had Stockholm Syndrome. There's a chance that was too dramatic as well. Conceivably, it was much simpler. Hormones. My butterflies had hormones.
After all, it wasn't every day an attractive boy matching every detail from every Happily Ever After ending pulled out all the stops from Every Girl's Guide to Finding Your Prince Charming. At least, until I met Alec it wasn't. Not that Alec was Prince Charming. Far from it…except for —
I took a deep breath, getting a whole new scent supply of the vampire holding me. I couldn't remember ever taking distinct notice of someone else's smell before. Yes, entering someone's room or hugging them often splashed that person's distinct air into cognisant prominence. But never before could I recall remaining aware of it, expecting it, remembering it…missing it like I missed their laugh. At least, again, until I met Alec. With thoughts like this, it seemed the butterflies' hormones were going to my head now. Alec's expression was growing slightly more worried as I ranted in my mind, so I gave him a quick, reassuring nod.
It was best to keep my mind from that complicated avenue. With the whole vampire mate business, that would be a misguided and pointless path to walk down. Clearly, he'd yet to find his 'soulmate' and I think I'd know by now if I had that position in his life. Not that I wanted it, I defensively pointed out to myself. His protectiveness obviously stemmed down to his bloodlust and perhaps a little of it was awarded to me for my value to his sister. I highly doubt she'd be very pleased if I were to end up in the middle of a vampire battle. Blood — both the desire for and the family relation were core elements of Alec's existence. It was a reasonable and supported deduction. I could be a detective one day. That is, if I ever actually lived to see past seventeen at this point.
I gulped and gave myself a mental pinch to keep on task. The main goal was still to convince them to keep me human for as long as possible. I stepped out of his arms and turned to face Aro. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him slowly do the same.
The etiquette brought a thin smile to Aro's face, hitting me with the full gravity of my decision and filling me with nerves. I had unintentionally done the one thing that Aro did not expect, but cherished dearly in that moment. While I acted out of necessity, to the Masters, my choice to return attention to them was obedience. It was exactly how their guards were to behave and I had initiated the move when one of the Masters' most loyal members was displaying the exact opposite.
"What the hell is going on?"
I saw Caius raise his eyebrows at Alec for the outburst. Alec, recognising that he was pushing his luck, stood down reluctantly. Caius hissed to Aro. "I told you the boy should have been present."
Aro ignored him, informing Alec cheerfully, "preparation, m'boy!" But he explained no further, leaving Alec to fill in the blanks himself.
"Enough for today, I think." Marcus's voice was raspy, sounding, as it always did, as if he hadn't spoken for several days. His lips were barely parted and his head was raised in curiosity as he seemed to be watching both Alec and I, equally.
Caius supported the statement with a restrained declaration, "I agree."
Marcus's eyes met mine for the briefest of seconds and after a flash, he seemed to sigh before they trialed off like a snail to Jane and then to the wall. His ability to appear extraordinarily disinterested once again enveloping him in an empty cloud. A cloud that I now had a surge of condolences for after hearing his backstory. Perhaps he could see this newfound sympathy in my eyes, as he often seemed to be paying attention when I was forced front and center. Whenever his name came up, the others had this twinkle of pity in their eyes and now that I knew why, I must have adopted the same look. I felt a wave of helpless guilt for simply knowing the reason behind his sadness. Maybe he didn't want me to know. Maybe he liked that I hadn't known. Maybe he liked that I hadn't looked at him like a damaged animal barely breathing on the side of the road. Or maybe, he really was bored.
Jane appeared frozen in the same position as she had been before. I could see her out of the corner of my eye as well, watching me intently. The expression on her face had returned to the black hole her coven subscribed to. I could feel the muscles in my neck adjust as I tilted my head in her direction, a behaviour I'd adopted in my time with the twins. Of course, I would receive no verbal response at a time like this, especially as their leader disagreed with the two grand men.
"Not quite, Brothers." Aro's smile hadn't changed, but there was almost a new maliciousness in the way the words entered the air. He continued, his tone implying an intent lacking scientific faculty, and more in the business of 'for satisfaction's sake', "I do wonder what—"
"Aro." Caius spoke up, looking over me before he gave his companion a single shake of his head. Aro's shoulders dropped, but he did not protest further. Since when did Caius care about my well-being?
Aro sighed and I tried to keep from glaring at him. "Very well." He turned, his black cloak extravagantly billowing around his ankles as he returned to sit in his center throne. Still watching Alec and I, he spoke forward but aimed his words at his fellow rulers, "We should invite Eleazar for a visit." His believed equals said nothing, but their agreement required no verbal confirmation. Aro opened his mouth as if to continue speaking, but he was interrupted.
A roar bellowed through the thick door Alec had entered from only moments ago. It was followed by a loud bang and a small shriek from who I assumed was the receptionist. The step I had taken away from Alec earlier was countered by him in response to these noises. I could feel the fabric of his clothing grazing my left elbow. It triggered a small push of annoyance because there was such a thing as too protective. Yet, I forced myself to acknowledge that that roar had sounded very inhuman and I was still very much not that. And technically it was Alec's job to ensure that this distinction did not result in my extinction. So, I put a reluctant check in the vampire plus column and tried to ignore the fact that neither my heart nor its' speed made so much as a peep in response to the violent exclamation from an unknown vampire until after I connected it with the increased proximity of my second favourite Volturi twin.
Another clap from Aro's thin, white hands echoed in the chamber. "It appears that Alec has left Demetri and Felix with our rather unruly guests." He gave Alec a look then, to which the boy nodded and retreated back in the direction he came in. As he slipped back through the doors, another protesting yell claimed the extra sound in the hall, louder and more prominent than the sounds from Aro's hands. The guard had a brief moment of disarray as some comments were scattered but Caius cleared his throat and order returned.
To Jane and I, Aro exclaimed, "Until next time, my dears."
Jane's eyes left me. "Shall I return Saffiya to her chambers?"
Delight flickered in Aro's eyes as he scanned my posture. I hadn't moved an inch since separating from Alec and the simple gesture pleased him enough to prompt an unexpected decision from him. "No. This will soon be her life, let her be witness to a proper trial."
He presented it as if he had awarded me a great honour in allowing me to remain for their next order of business. It was unlikely that he had forgotten that I had already been afforded the opportunity to witness their display of law and order. As if I hadn't watched Prosper drain the blood from Victor Tima's body on his orders. Apparently, he did not recall it with the relevance that I did. If that had been my first experience, I could only imagine what he had in store for me this time.
Jane nodded, leading me to her and Alec's usual place at the lefthand side of the thrones. As soon as we were set, the double doors were pulled open by the guard.
Alec emerged from between them, strutting confidently down the center of the hall as if it were a catwalk for Young Villain's Weekly. A ruthless, cocky smirk stood out prominently on his face and a special kind of darkness chilled off of him in waves to rush over the room. Even members of the guard were avoiding staring directly at him, as if doing so would turn them to dust from the sheer power the vampire commanded.
Behind him, Felix and a lower guard member, Xavier, half dragged, half carried a male body through the doors with Demetri trailing off to the side. The man's eyes were rolled up inside his head and his body was limp, as if he were asleep. Under Alec's gift, the man was completely vulnerable to the coven and whatever they planned to do with him.
Alec bowed his head to the Masters. Felix and Xavier came to an abrupt stop in the middle of the floor and they lifted the rag doll up as if he were standing on his own two feet and not being fully supported by them. Their captive was surprisingly young and he couldn't have been older than his university years when he'd been turned. A medium build, light brown hair hung over his eyes and rested above sharp cheekbones. His face was scrunched together, the only visible reaction to the darkness currently swallowing up his consciousness. Under Alec's gift, the man was incapacitated and utterly useless.
Caius spoke first. "One? We were expecting four."
Demetri's voice wilted from the side, "three older newborns. He disposed of them prior to Alec's arrival. They left a mess behind with the humans."
"We also believe he has been recruiting nomads for quite some time."
"An unusual method to create a coven," Caius remarked, pulling together the most likely assumption of the facts.
However, Demetri shook his head, providing the detail that Alec had been reluctant to. "To form an army." Caius lifted his head as if to challenge the finality of Demetri's conclusion.
Alec claimed the spotlight of the leadership role once more. "Sir, he returned to Volterra willingly, though he has behaved in a hostile manner. " The three kings exchanged looks at this news and my stomach churned nervously. Caius raised a single eyebrow, impatient with having to prod the young man for details. "He claims to have an urgent message from his coven."
Requiring further detail, Aro held out his hand and Alec elegantly moved up the stairs to grant Aro access to his thoughts. After a moment, Aro removed his hand from Alec's, dismissing him. "Very well. Let us see what he has to say."
One might think the reveal of the chain of command would take the young man's arrogance down a notch, or at the very least cease the showboating. After all, it was Demetri who actually tracked the target down and Felix's strength that managed to drag him from who knows where all the way back to the city. Alec had only been included to make the captive go night night for easy travel. Whether he'd been necessary to the mission or not, his dominant position over the other three men was evident with a single look. Not to mention, Alec's graceful parade was eerily identical to the way Aro conducted himself on the steps of the thrones; A young prince mimicking the power of the father.
The aura of magnificence surrounding him didn't go anywhere as Alec stepped back down the stairs; And even though he had returned to an equal level with the rest of the guard, it was clear that any belief of this equality belonged to that of a fool. He was a big game hunter, parading his kill in front of anyone who dared be in his presence. And then he turned and his eyes found mine. There was a flash of something in them and I assumed that he did not expect to see me still present for this part. He dropped his gaze for a brief second and I almost had to do the same to keep from poking fun at what I'd be delighted to assume was the way he handled himself in all of these meetings. And to think, I'd been missing out on excellent taunting material all this time.
I only closed my eyes for a millisecond, but, when I opened them, he had already appeared on my empty side, sandwiching me between him and his sister. He faced the center of the room as if he'd been standing in this position with us the entire time. I resisted the urge to shift my body to look at him properly, knowing that the move would likely be frowned upon for drawing attention.
This swing back to reality put me on the slightest edge, however, and I found myself wishing I could mute my heartbeat. Because while most of the Volturi had at least some practice remaining tame around me, this was the first time I had been exposed to a vampire that was very much not. And while I had confidence that even if the new, blood-drinking arrival was able to get past Demetri and Felix that Jane and Alec wouldn't miss a beat, I was well-aware of the danger I was in.
So, I did what I did best. I faked it. I put on my best 'serious Jane' face and gave myself a new mantra of 'I am not human. My heart does not race ridiculously and attract the attention of everyone in the room. I am stone…' I glanced to Jane and immediately shifted my body to match her, from her stance, her straightened spine, right down to the lack of expression on her face. Though, today was not one of the days that I had chosen clothing to match hers so I stuck out like a sore thumb among the dark cloaks and black clothing. Hopefully this vamp wasn't attracted to colours like raccoons were to silver.
My attention was pulled from the 'guest' anyways as Aro nodded to Alec, who focused on their captive until the man began to regain control of his body again, limb by limb until he was able to stand on his own. Felix and Xavier stood not two inches behind him, each with a hand on either side of the man's biceps. The boy pushed off from the men as soon as he regained control, though they did not respond.
"Welcome to Volterra."
The boy scoffed, once again trying to shove Felix off. "Nice welcoming committee you got here." Aro tilted his head and the men released their prisoner, though they flanked him within a mere step. "Though, I did not expect much from the tyrannical rulers of the vampire world."
Caius' eyes narrowed at his attitude, though neither Marcus or Aro gave it much credit. "You know us and yet, your identity has eluded us," Aro admitted passively.
He hesitated, before wising up, "you may call me Zafir."
"Zafir." Aro smiled at him in his creepy style. "It has been brought to our attention that you have engaged in activities that violate the laws of vampires. Are you aware of these laws that govern our society?"
"I am aware of your laws."
"Yet, you have broken more than one. Including an unprovoked attack on members of our guard."
Zafir sneered, "my coven does not recognize your insignificant rules." Several of the guard hissed at the audacity of the man.
"These laws have been in place for centuries for the protection of all vampires." Marcus rasped, "your coven presumes to know better?"
"We do." He gloated with an ignorant arrogance. "We can and will do better." The suggestion triggered a spot of anger from the crowd.
Caius leaned forward with an icy dominance. "Why, you insolent—" Aro raised a hand and Caius sunk back in his chair.
Aro continued, prompting the vampire to incriminate himself further. "Is this so?"
"I agreed to return with your guard to deliver a message on behalf of my coven's leader, Razin." He spoke casually, as if his words were not sparking dissonance and distaste for him and by extension, his coven. "He is willing to offer you, Aro, Caius, and Marcus, the opportunity to renounce your reign and influence over the vampire world to him and his coven. This would ensure that no harm will come to you or further members of your guard."
I waited for a punch line, a laugh, something that suggested he was of a solid state of mind. He did none of this, his face remained stoically unconcerned. The atmosphere in the room shared the same sentiment of disbelief that I did. Though, I'd only been privy to the Volturi's working for a short time, I was under the impression that in their hundreds of years as 'rulers' that no one had come close to dethroning them. That with the twin's powers behind them, they were unstoppable. What gave this Razin character of theirs the impression that he could do what others failed to? I could not figure any possible reason that would give someone the confidence to announce a plan to overthrow the Volturi's leadership to their faces.
The leaders kept silent and if his words had fazed them, they didn't show it; Which Zafir took as encouragement to continue. He took a deep breath in through his nose and out through his mouth before continuing in a more formal tone. "It is time for the Volturi to step aside."
"Have you any cause for such a demand?" Caius and Marcus turned to Aro, his question humouring the rantings of a confounding individual. Aro's curiosity led him to odd questions and decisions, but to entertain the ramblings of an obsessed man seemed fruitless upon first thoughts.
"You have been blind to a developing world. The humans are growing more powerful." Aro was listening intently and I tried to identify the origin of such outlandish prospects. The likelihood of humans wiping out vampires was as likely as someone returning from the dead. Wait… "If we do not act now, it will mean the end of vampires everywhere."
Caius was livid, but Aro showed no emotion as he continued the conversation with the young rebel as calmly as possible. "And if we do not accept this offer of yours?"
He smiled, too willing to answer the question. "If you choose to stand against us, we guarantee that the legacy of the Volturi will end in fire." No one said a word. The threat was more than clear and I held my breath for the next move Aro would make.
"Jane."
A first-timer, Zafir dropped to his knees almost instantly. He wailed, a dramatically pathetic sound. Once Jane had retreated, he slowly returned to his feet. Zafir shot a glare at Jane before shaking the feeling back into his hand and raising his head in unsupported confidence.
Aro seemed almost amused as he watched the man struggle to stand. "You were saying?"
"The reputation of your Witch Twins precedes all expectations," he commended sarcastically. Witch Twins? "Sad, though. That your survival hinges on children." Aro provided him with no response. So, instead, Zafir's eyes shifted from the twins to me and a grin began to grow on his face. I did my best to remain as passive as the others. He said nothing, instead he swung his head around before settling with playing to the attention of his entire audience in the room. The bragging tone he had been using for his warring threats became pitchier, playful even.
Zafir's pride was bruised but his delusions of his coven's grandeur status were only reinforced. He remained adamant, fixed and confident in his unrealistic beliefs. "Razin has no fear of your Witch Twins. Even their power will not be enough."
Aro waved him off, having grown bored of his empty threats and grandstanding. "Then your leader has made severe miscalculations that have guaranteed not only your death, but his as well." Aro nodded to Caius, who stood from his throne to descend the stairs.
Zafir frowned upon seeing the unchanging faces around him, "you misunderstand." His warnings falling on ears that had crushed every threat they'd ever encountered, but instead of becoming frustrated, he kept his tone light. "He knows all your secrets," he sung in the style of a sinful children's rhyme.
In a rapid swing, his arm cut through the air and he pointed a finger directly at me. Zafir was grinning wide as the Cheshire Cat, his boastful determination returned full fold as he attempted another tactic to get under the nerves of his audience. Automatically, Alec's hand slipped to my wrist and with a quick tug, he'd smoothly hidden most of my figure behind him and out of the stranger's view. Over Alec's shoulder, I could see that the reaction made the man's disturbing grin grow with pompous success.
"And he knows all about the little Witch Twin's pet." He let out a low hum, eyes directly on me.
"I'm no pet." Wrong move.
"I wonder." He teased, "will you taste as good as you look?"
Jane got to him first. The words had barely left his mouth before he was curled into his chest, already on his knees before the Masters. The dark chuckle that had ended his threat turned into screams of agony, Jane's gift showing no mercy. At almost the exact same time, there was an echoing boom behind me. As I whipped around to the source of the noise, I had hardly processed Alec's missing form from my other side before I realized that he had been the cause of the startling sound. Demetri had him pressed against the wall as he struggled to free himself. His teeth were bared and wild eyes were aimed at the same person his sister was mercilessly torturing.
She had been too fast for her brother and I reached out a hand to touch her shoulder, hoping to bring her back from the white rage that had overtaken both the twins' reactions. Caius had ignored the outburst, instead returning to his throne with a calmness matching the other kings and diametric to the rest of the room. As he did so, Aro signalled an end to the disarray. Finally, Jane's name joined the air, another soft contrast to the howls echoing in the chamber.
The scream began to die out as Jane obeyed the order. Felix and Xavier grabbed the vampire's arms as he fell forward, halting the man before he could wrap his arms around his chest. Alec shoved Demetri away from him and reappeared at my side as if nothing had happened, though he had shifted his body once more so that I was almost completely blocked from the view of the vampires in the middle of the room.
The prisoner gave a low chuckle, though he coughed in the middle of it — no doubt, a result of all the screaming he'd just done. Still, he kept forth his devoted, dense, attitude and though it was clearly more show than reality, the nonchalance still tickled the thin strings of patience in the rest of the guards. Jane had a slight pout and I could almost hear her beating herself up for falling for the provocative taunts.
I grabbed for her hand behind Alec's robe, a telling reaction that would no doubt be frowned upon if anyone had seen it — especially the captive. Nevertheless, she squeezed my hand back, but released it all too quickly. This was no time for my puny, bothersome, human emotions, I chided myself. I was lucky that no one had seen, but I struggled to settle back into the numbness I had started the trial with.
Once everyone settled, Aro cleared his throat. "Your threats are without foundation," Aro informed him. "Your coven may desire power, but any attempt to destroy the Volturi will fail."
"They are not threats, but rather a forewarning of the rebellion that is to come." He began to bend his leg to stand but Xavier pressed him back down to his knees. "Razin will save our kind, restore us to our former glory at the top of the food chain. His reign will become legendary and it will commence as he stands on your ashes in this very room. He tried again to stand, but Felix placed a hand on the back of his neck and tugged his arm out and behind him, holding him in place. Still, he continued, losing more of his credibility in his frenzied rant, "he shall announce our existence, our majesty to the humans. They will bow before us and we will be their Gods."
Zafir's voice rang out in the chamber and his head dipped, darkness seeping into his words for the first time. "He has seen it." I had no idea what he meant, but it caught Aro's immediate attention. A smirk on the man's face took on the same harshness as his tone, as if he had been expecting this reaction.
In a flash, Aro had glided down the stairs and taken hold of the man's hand. The silence in the room was killing me and my eyes skirted between everyone I could lay my eyes on. But nothing clued me in to exactly how or why Aro's low rating of the possible calamity in Zafir's warnings had flipped so quickly.
Aro released Zafir's hand and turned his back on him, giving one simple nod to his partners. However, he continued to address Zafir. "Razin. Your…leader, has chosen a telling nom de guerre."
Zafir's chest puffed out and commendations for his coven leader spilled out of him. "By rebelling against the oppressive rule of the Volturi, he stands akin to the greatness of the Cossack leader, Stepan Razin. My leader is fearless and he leads an army greater than your mere guard." Felix and Xavier gave sharp pulls on his arms and I could see him hold a groan in his throat at the careless pain they inflicted.
Weighing the young man's aggrandised review of his coven head, Aro stated, "Stepan Razin is considered a hero of the Cossack yeomanry."
Not missing a beat, Zafir declared, "my chief will be remembered as a hero for his people."
The leader of the Volturi clicked his tongue and gave Zafir a pitying glance, sans any real empathy. "And yet he has sent a vampire just past his infancy to threaten the most powerful coven of vampires. Alone."
This was the first time the captive faltered and he gave a quick, nervous glance over his shoulder to see the guard members trained on him, just waiting for the word. He was going to die here, today, and no doubt he would go down preaching the words he'd been fed by his commander with the intensity of a cult-like influence.
He doubled down. "It is not a matter of if, but when, you and your coven will fall." He turned around, stuck his chin back up and said, "one day soon, the Volturi will pay for your cruelty and repression of your own kind."
"Perhaps." A small smile found its way to Caius' lips. "But, I am afraid you will not live to see it."
"My death is a necessity in the story of your defeat."
Marcus leaned forward, his voice hollow as he agreed, "then the punishment shall fit the crime."
"Your actions have risked the exposure of our world and the future of vampire-kind." Caius declared. "For this, you will die."
With a roar, Zafir managed to manoeuvre himself out of his captor's grasps and he lunged toward the three kings, though he did not make it far. Felix had him caught cold before he could take a step and shoved him back to the ground, slamming his face into the marble stone floor. Surely, this would silence his disrespect but it only seemed to spur him on. A small hum turned into mocking laughter as the man lifted his head with a cynical grin. A long, thin crack ran across his face from his left ear to the other side of his lips. So, this was what Felix and Demetri's sparring practices were meant for. Except, Felix held nothing back this time. I viewed his large stature as somewhat endearing, similar to that of a lovable oaf. But, as he shoved the man's head back into the floor, I could feel my chest fighting against opposing judgements of the scene.
My throat tightened at the sight and I could feel the glass shatter around the part of my heart that believed Felix could no do evil. It was like the heartbreak when you watched your favourite childhood movie only to realise you could now only see it from an adult's point of view. Watching Felix pull the man to his feet, his cheek shattered like a porcelain doll, was gut-wrenching in that moment. I felt like I was reading Of Mice and Men, and only just comprehending why George refused to let Lenny near the fluffy, fragile bunnies on their imagined farm.
I had been humanizing my vampire friends. Which even though technically I would argue they were still human in everything but nature, I had been decisively ignorant in the reality of what they were. I knew it, and they never failed to remind me, but this was perhaps the first time I felt that 'monster' was more a part of their definition than it was an insult. And all it took was playful Felix initiating a pointlessly violent attack, one that I was more fascinated by than terrified of.
Felix's strong-arming did little to diminish the passion that his captive preached with. He had not achieved fear within the leaders, as seemed to be his intention. Instead, Zafir chose a new target. His words came tumbling out in a shout faster than then his mouth could move. They reaked of desperation, but the bait was too good, too unexpected and it caught the two men holding him off guard and they froze, as I did, at the captive's words.
"He's coming for your mate, Witch Boy."
I'd hardly processed the words before a tiny gust of air swept over me. Alec snarled, dashing forward and grabbing Zafir by his throat, slamming him into the floor. His right foot stomped on the lesser vampire's arm, holding it down as Alec crouched above him. "Stay away from her," he hissed.
"So protective of the human. Can't say I blame you — with enemies like yours." Zafir turned his head to look at my stunned face and his eyes scanned my body. Amused by the power he held over Alec, he continued egging on the boy that literally held his life in his hands. "Just being your mate will put her in constant danger. And it's all your fault."
I knew I shouldn't have engaged, but the words slipped out, "what are you talking about?"
Zafir raised his eyebrows before the reason for my confusion seemed to dawn on him. He sniggered, cheerfully exclaiming, "oh!" A delighted, broad smile spread across his face as he laughed in Alec's face. Alec's glare hardened, aimed to the offending vampire. "She didn't know?"
Alec shoved against Zafir's throat, choking him. If he pushed hard enough, he would crush the rebel's larynx. Before he could do so, Felix grabbed him under his arms and removed him from atop the man. He shoved Alec back in Jane and I's direction and helped Xavier put Zafir back on his knees.
Alec froze when he met my eyes. I swallowed, wetting my lips before asking, "what is he talking about?"
"Oopsie." Zafir giggled behind Alec until his voice was stolen, his throat running raw as Jane attacked again with a vengeance. But he'd gotten what he wanted and the damage had been done.
Alec appeared in front of me, his hands gently cupping my cheeks. His eyes bore into mine and he pushed my hair off of my face. "Saffiya…" he whispered desperately, "cuore mio." I began to shake my head, the weight of the situation intensifying. My hands hung limply at my sides and I clenched my fists as they began to shake. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to pause this moment or to rewind and find more time to process. To think. I needed to think.
Finally, my eyes blinked open and Alec's mask had completely dissolved, revealing a remorseful and pained expression on his face. He breathed out his confession, "you are my mate…unico mio." I couldn't find it in me to remember how to speak or how to breathe. I was frozen, stuck until I was saved by the villain in the room.
"Listen to that heart race. How sweet — I love a good doomed romance." Alec let out a low growl and broke away from me to face the source of his emotions, keeping me as best out of sight as possible. But, I stumbled back and Jane's hand landed on my shoulder blade to steady me.
He was posturing now, but we were all falling victim to it. He had identified the weakness none of us could have expected or prepared for, thus delaying his inevitable death for a short period of entertainment. The three kings did nothing and he remained in the hold of Felix and Xavier, though Demetri was now placed directly behind him. Waiting for the order to see his sentence through and rid of us the burden. But, no one made a move.
Zafir was emboldened by his success so far and as he'd done since his arrival, he continued talking. Because I was the weakness and somehow, he knew just where to poke. "I wonder. If only daddy dearest could see you now — joining a vampire cult. Would he be proud of his little girl?"
That stole my attention and I wasn't the only one.
"Enough." Caius declared and he flashed down to stand before the vampire, his hands wrapped around his face.
"Wait!" I cried out, forcefully pushing past the twin's delayed line of defence to stop me. The sick smile returned to his face as I broke the Volturi wall of stone affect once more. I couldn't bring myself to care, desperate for the information I was sure he had. "What do you know about my father?"
Felix pulled the left arm taut as Xavier grabbed his other arm, and Caius began to twist his head. A distinct cracking sound paired with garbled sounds in the back of Zafir's throat.
"No!" But Alec grabbed hold of my waist and turned me around, shielding me from the sight of the murder he knew was coming. With a loud crack, a sound mimicking shattered glass signalled the end of Zafir. The vampire had been torn to pieces before I could blink.
I cried out, struggling weakly against Alec's arms. He pulled me closer to his chest, lowering his head to whisper in my ear. "Saffiya, he was playing you." The lilt of his voice that normally soothed me should have calmed me down as he intended, but I refused to give in. "He knew nothing of your father."
I shouted out as some of the lower guard began to clear the body and Alec finally released me. "Really? Because he seemed to know about a lot of things." I threw back.
His eyebrows narrowed and I wondered if he would even realise why I was upset before his frustration prompted an outburst. "That is not fair."
"Isn't it?" Forgetting our audience, I lost myself in the stillness between us. I bit my lip, trying to find the right words. Normally, I would never address one of our grievances in front of others, but this time it was different. And I had to know. "How long?" The question caught him off guard and his face fell, as if he expected me to just move past him keeping what was probably the biggest secret possible from me.
"The alley."
He was looking straight at me. His hood had fallen, yet I could hardly make out his features through the darkness. Except his eyes. Which now barely passed as red and I wondered how I could have confused such a colour with black. My mind was in such disarray that it hadn't even processed the events in front of me yet. It was like I was stuck, because I couldn't tear my eyes away from him either.
"You were not supposed to find out this way." Alec reached out a hand to touch my arm. But, I moved quicker than he expected and slapped the attempt away from me. He froze, watching me cautiously, waiting for my next unpredictable move. If he tried to grab me again and I fought back, he risked accidentally injuring me — or rather I risked injuring myself on his marble body. "Say something. Please."
My mouth was dry, but I summoned the courage to look at him again. "You should've told me."
The room was stunned into silence, all eyes on us as I dropped my head away from Alec. They had all known and clearly, no one expected this reveal between Alec and I to happen like this. Maybe it was a sign. We'd been at odds for half the time we'd known each other. I doubted friendship would be easy to recover after this incident. Then there was the third option. A new option.
Finally, Aro cleared his throat. "Jane, would you please escort Saffiya to her room. I believe some rest would suit her." Jane was as shocked as the others, but she quickly recovered.
"Master."
I came to a stop at the top of the second stairwell. It only took Jane a second to realise that I was no longer following her.
"What are you doing?" She snapped at me, though her face softened as she took in my blank expression. She hadn't said a word to me since we'd left the throne room, only leading me through the dark hallways with a cold shoulder vibe. I assumed her behaviour had something to do with what I'd said to Alec, so maybe she was just surprised or she was upset with me. Either way, I was too mixed up in my own head to question her and have a conversation if it was merited. I'm not sure I could handle something like that at the moment..
I looked up at the grand doors that housed centuries of books behind them. "I want to be in the library."
Jane shook her head, denying my request. "You need to rest."
I closed my eyes, dropping my head down pitifully. "I can't. Not right now." I still had a vexing electricity coursing through my veins, causing the kind of adrenaline that makes you feel like you were moving at the speed of a turtle — mentally and physically.
She relented as she realized that my mind had been made up. The two guards that had followed us exchanged glances before taking up post outside the library doors, opening them up for us. Jane followed me to one of the seating areas, eyeing me as I collapsed on the couch and faced out of the window.
"One hour. Then, you sleep." I nodded, not feeling up to countering the time limit placed on me. I had been staying in Alec's room and I had no desire to go anywhere near him at the moment.
Jane hesitated and I could feel her eyes boring into the back of my head. I knew she probably wanted to say something else, probably about Alec. But she didn't and I didn't ask. I continued to stare out of the window at the open skies. A few seconds later, I heard the library doors close and I was left alone.
~•~•~•~
A/N: Hi all!
So…that happened. At least I didn't leave a cliff-hanger this time! Right?
I went a little history nerd on y'all in here as well. May be a bit of foreshadowing in that ;) There have been some great guesses for what Saffiya's gift might be! I love to see your ideas. Also, I cannot guarantee that the following chapters will be quite as long as this one was (in comparison), as they may be more dialogue heavy but I honestly have no idea. This just sort of happened after I read the comments.
Thank you to everyone who favorited, followed and those that commented for all your kind words, you are all so wonderful. I honestly do not believe I would be able to continue this story when it gets bumpy without you. I never understood how much they meant to authors until now.
MandosGirl: You're the second person to ask if Alec will betray the Volturi! I can tell you that for the current outline I have, it wouldn't fit.
Beep beep: Thank you so much, I really appreciate the reassurance. And I'm glad you've stayed on! Love those guesses for her ability, you're getting close! And yeah, her dad's got some nerve. Hmm…interesting thought you've got there on his death. They are quite suspicious, aren't they?
Comments from earlier chapters:
KaitFrench: You're golden.
Selene . ariel - Thank you for sticking with me!
GuestMG: Ooo, Caius and Aro definitely make some questionable choices when it concerns her so I can see that.
Louise: Right! Alec is such an undervalued character. I just don't understand it.
My love - Sia, Royals - Lorde, and Something's Got A Hold On Me - Christina Aguilera in Burlesque have been added to our playlist ideas. Keep sending songs my way!
Let me know how y'all are feeling in the comments! Anyone think Saffiya's overreacting or is there some validity in there? And what's with this Razin guy? Thoughts? Thank you for reading, as always, and goodnight, good morning, and happy birthday to anyone who might be celebrating :)
Ro
Translations: The language is Italian: "Cuore mio" = my heart and "unico mio" = only mine, or my one. - I try to check in with friends that I have in whatever country of origin for phrases or words that aren't overused, so I will put little comments at the end in the future if needed.
